Tag Archives: crochet

Knitcrate

How awesome is this yarn! Knitcrate gave me the opportunity to try it for myself and I’m in love! I’m a big fan of subscription boxes as they allow you to try yarn you don’t usually have access too. We have NO awesome yarn shops within 1.5 hours drive here so I rely on the internet. The box comes with a crochet or knit pattern, or you can use your own, the options are endless!

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Finished: Purple Square

Been a bit off with my crochet lately. Not feeling too good and trying to prep for my wedding next month. I’ve been trying to take the time to crochet, but it’s really been lacking. Hopefully I get a bit more time after the wedding prep dies down.

 

Anyways, I made this giant solid square blanket out of some variegated yarn from Ice Yarns. It was really simple to make and there’s patterns all over the internet. I’m shocked it took me this long to actually make one.

Finished: Call The Midwife

I found this yarn online at Ice Yarns and loved that it’s variegated without being in your face. I wanted to do the “call the midwife” blanket but the chart has vanished from the internet and i couldn’t be bothered trying to read the pattern. I found this variation online and loved it. I did change the pattern by removing the extra rows of spaces as i find them unnecessary and it slows down the crochet time by a lot. I have 400g of this yarn and plan on making it baby sized so rather small. It’s a lovely soft yarn and works really nice.

Mustard Blanket

I got this yarn years ago and had good intentions to make a giant blanket. It’s a big 400g ball or acrylic and wool mix. But i never got around to it and it stayed in my shelf for ages. After being sick of it taking up space (so i can buy more yarn) I decided to make a blanket. I went with the diamond pattern again as I love working with it, it’s super easy, and it works up quick. My annoying cat loves all my crochet things and loves to play with the yarn and sit on the blankets as I try to make it. I gave her her own blanket and she still wants the one I’m working on.  This will be a small baby size blanket and I only plan on using one ball of yarn.

2017

Ok so i seemed to lose my cro-jo in the second half of last year. Do you ever get like that? Nothing seems to be working, all the yarn is wrong, patterns don’t make sense. I did get a few things finished, but not at my usual pace. So 2018 has began and I’m pleased to say, I’m back! I ended the year on a cruise to New Zealand where I had literally nothing to do but eat, drink, relax, and crochet. It was magical. I finished a shawl made from a Whirl! It had been 4 years since my last cruise and boy did I miss it! New Zealand was magical, and I can’t wait to go back! Since coming home I ordered some more yarn. I hadn’t ordered yarn in forever! This has sparked something in me and now I’m a crochet machine again. I’ve finished a yellow baby blanket and started 2 more. I hope to use up some of my stash of yarns and make a heap of blankets this year. I also plan on making heaps of beanies with my knitting machine and donating them to charity. What are your crochet goals?

Wedding Dress Fail

Three years ago I saw the article about the woman who crocheted her wedding dress. I loved the idea! So recently I got engaged and decided to look up a pattern. I found it on Revelry and purchased it. How hard could it be? Now, I make scarfs, shawls, and blankets. Nothing ever to be actually fitted and worn. The pattern was charted and looked fairly simple. To my surprise it actually was really easy!

I got the suggested yarn off eBay and after 4 weeks of waiting it finally tuned up. I got the hook size and everything. So I started the pattern. Ok so I’m a weirdly proportioned girl, big bust, small waist, large hips. Nothing every fits correct. I’m also short. I measured a large on top, small waist, and medium hips. I decided to make a small and hope the yarn would stretch.

I actually made the entire top portion of the dress before I realized it did not fit how I would like. Very loose and would be hanging low with the weight of the skirt. So I gave up and bought a real wedding dress!

I actually love the pattern, It was simple. Just not for my shape. I worked each portion of the pattern up in one night. Front side 1 (one night) Left front (one night) Back (one night collar one night.

Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chrysanthemum-gown

Finished: Whirl 1

 

I finished my first whirl! What an adventure! This is the first proper shawl I’ve made and not run out of yarn! I ordered the Whirl from my local yarn place and picked it up that night! I knew I wanted to make this pattern as I love it and the name has a special meaning to me. Working with the Whirl was amazing, I used a 3.5mm hook. No knots or random joins and the colours just flowed. You can feel the quality compared to the cheaper options. This took about a week to make, it was very slow at the end!

Pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/erigeneia

yarn: https://www.coastalyarnco.com.au/collections/scheepjes-whirl/products/scheepjes-whirl-blueberry-bam-bam-755

How to: Crochet and travel


I enjoy both crochet and travel and have mixed them together on a lot of occasions. Crochet is one of those hobbies that can be really portable and can fill in those long hours. I crocheted on my USA trip and have come up with a few pointers and tips for anyone interested.

Size. Don’t bring a giant double size blanket with you. It’s heavy and not practical. Bring something small or something you can sew together later. Make a few granny squares, a baby size blanket, a scarf, beanie, or shawl.

Limit yourself to only a few colours. The last thing you want is to juggle 15 different colours. This takes up space in your bag and increases the risk of misplacing something. Stick to 3 balls of yarn. If you must bring heaps of colours rewind them into smaller balls.

Storage. Project bags are a must. I have several made of cotton or organza. The opening is a drawstring allowing it to be fully closed but still be able to draw up the yarn. I travel with a normal sized handbag which allows for 1 ball of 100g 8ply yarn. This is an awesome size as it isn’t too bulky. Watch out of liquids in your bag (or nature) from spilling on your project.

Hooks. While it is legal to carry hooks on Australian international and domestic flights you should always check with your airline. I’ve had mixed results in having to open my bag and prove that it’s just a hook. With my first flight with hooks i was so scared they’d take them off me I brought a plastic hook! I hated this and it slowed me down. My next flight saw me take my ‘good’ hook and wasn’t any drama. I also took my hooks through security at The Pentagon, One World Observatory, and The Capitol Building in Washington with no problems. This info may change at a later time 😉

Looks. People will look, people will be curious. It’s something you have to deal with. I go into my own world and don’t even think about it, my sister seems to notice it more.

Goals. Don’t set goals, enjoy your holiday. If you don’t feel like crocheting, don’t do it.

Finished: Purple Sunday Shawl

If i like a pattern there’s a good chance I’ll make it a lot. I finished my first Sunday Shawl and instantly wanted to make another. I did want to mix it up a bit, cause i like to personalize everything. I found this yarn at Spotlight and grabbed a pack. Then ran back and grabbed another when I realized it was not 4 ply and more like 8ply. So I hate trebbles, not good when this pattern is mainly that! So instead I worked double crochets. I work much faster this way. Due to the limited yarn I had to change colour in the body of the shawl. I wasn’t Continue reading Finished: Purple Sunday Shawl